Uniondale, N.Y. (Mar. 24, 2018) – Led by five RBIs from sophomore Sean Hogan, the baseball team opened East Coast Conference play with a sweep of the University of Bridgeport in a doubleheader, improving to 9-11 (2-0 ECC) on the season.

Game One: Molloy 15, UB 3
Despite being played at Mitchel Field, the Lions were the visitors on the scoreboard. After three innings of play, the maroon and white trailed, 2-0, following a triple from Logan Allen and a home run from Christopher Martucci. The maroon and white cut the deficit in half in the top of the fourth inning following a leadoff double from senior Elijah Leerdam. A ground out from Hogan drove in the run to set the score at 2-1.

Molloy took its first lead of the game in the sixth inning after the Lions plated five runs. Leerdam drew a leadoff walk before advancing to third on a single from senior Angelo Navetta. Freshman Jake McCarthy walked, knotting the score at 2-2. A wild pitch scored Navetta to put the visitors in front before back-to-back sacrifice flies from junior Ryan Hensley and sophomore Jake Saltzman put Molloy in front, 5-2. The Lions ended the inning on an RBI double from sophomore James Messina to take a 6-2 lead.

Hogan added another RBI in the seventh to increase the maroon and white's lead to 7-2 with a single to left field.

The bats came to life again in the top of the eighth as a single from Messina scored two runs, putting Molloy ahead 9-2. A walk to Navetta and RBI single from Hogan gave the Lions a 10-run, 12-2 advantage before Navetta scored on a throwing error by UB's pitcher.

The Purple Knights would come back within 10 runs in the bottom half of the inning following an RBI single from Mark Hirschbeck.

Molloy rounded out the scoring in the top of the ninth on an RBI double from junior David Lim and a ground out RBI from Navetta.

Senior pitcher Anthony Catinella tossed 7.2 innings for his first victory of the season. Saltzman, Messina, Navetta, and Hogan each recorded multiple hits in the effort, with Hogan and Messina driving in four and three runs, respectively. Saltzman recorded two stolen bases.

Game Two: Molloy 7, UB 2
Molloy's hot hitting continued into the second half of the doubleheader, leading 5-0 after three innings of play. After a leadoff double from senior Jack McCarty, the Lions drew three walks to take a 1-0 lead. A double from McCarty and single from Saltzman plated two more runs in the second inning before Saltzman drove in two more runs in the third with a single to left center field.

UB got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning on a double from Tom Rinaldi and a single from Hirschbeck, setting the score at 5-2 after four.

Navetta singled to center to score McCarty to put Molloy in front by four, 6-2. A dropped fly ball allowed McCarty to score in the top of the seventh inning to give the Lions the 7-2 victory.

Graduate student C.J. Schildt struck out seven batters in a complete game victory, allowing only three hits through seven innings. McCarty led with three hits and two stolen bases while Saltzman drove in a game-high three runs.

The Lions will conclude the four-game series against the Purple Knights tomorrow (Mar. 25) in a doubleheader at Mitchel Field set to begin at 12:00 p.m.